Reading History

Short and succinct, Reading History introduces students to different kinds of historical writing, acting as a guide to help them read and understand primary and secondary sources.

Michael Burger is a professor of History at Auburn University at Montgomery.

"Reading History is bound to be welcomed by both students who are thinking about the nature and use of historical sources, and their teachers. Michael Burger writes succinctly, covering a wide range of material both primary and secondary and gives a sound grounding to those beginning serious historical study.."

Harold Drake, University of California, Santa Barbara:

"’Students should spend more time reading things other than this book.’ True to his word, Michael Burger keeps his wisdom to a modest length. But wisdom there is. Between this opening salvo and his final chapter, students will learn how to think critically about history – and everything else."

Katherine L. French, University of Michigan:

"In Reading History Michael Burger pulls back the curtain on what it takes to be a historian. With wide-ranging and diverse examples, he explains and illustrates with humor and compassion the practical and intellectual skills that historians bring to their analysis of primary and secondary sources. Lucidly written, the book takes students through the process, challenges, and rewards of thinking and writing about history, challenging them to make these practices their own.